Saskatoon police involved in 2 shootings in less than a week
Race relations questions being raised
SASKATOON -- Two shootings of aboriginal people by Saskatoon police officers in less than a week have raised questions again about the force's commitment to improving its historically troubled relations with First Nations.
Police Chief Clive Weighill promised Friday that the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations' special investigative unit will have full access to the investigations of both incidents. FSIN Chief Lawrence Joseph welcomed the co-operation but also said he has concerns and questions about what happened.
Weighill told a news conference that in the latest incident, police received a 911 call from a distraught female just before 3 p.m. Thursday. A short time later, a caller from a neighbourhood southwest of the downtown reported seeing a woman in the street armed with knives.
"Two constables attended the scene and were immediately confronted by an agitated and aggressive female armed with a knife in each hand," he said.
"The officers attempted to defuse the situation by repeatedly directing the woman to drop the weapon. The woman continued to advance towards one of the officers, at which point the constable discharged her firearm," Weighill said.
A third officer then arrived on the scene and the woman was physically subdued to remove at least one of the knives still in her hand, Weighill said.
Still aggressive, the woman was handcuffed, he said. An ambulance was called.
Early last Saturday, two officers shot and killed Dwayne Charles Dustyhorn, 38, a man they said was threatening their colleague with two knives.
See Police Shootings / A3
SASKATOON – Saskatoon Police attended St. Pauls Hospital in regards to a male being stabbed in the 100 block of Avenue P South that occurred at approximately 10:00 AM this morning.
The 49 year old male received non life threatening injures and was able to walk to St. Pauls Hospital and call police.
The two suspects are described as aboriginal males, approximately 20 years old, and wearing light colored clothing.
SASKATOON -- It was one year ago today that the city was bombarded with its biggest blizzard in 50 years.
Over 30 centimetres of snow dropped in a period of about 26 hours on Jan. 10, 2007. The snow has long since melted but the memories haven't.
Brennan Pokoyoway, 25, was one of four good Samaritans nicknamed the Blizzard Boys. Along with his roommates, he spent three hours pushing cars up the hill at the top of the University Bridge at the intersection of College Drive and Clarence Avenue.
"It's kind of dumb to say but we did have a good time doing it and it helped a lot of people out so it's a nice memory. It's one I'm glad I'll always have," he said, adding that they pushed at least 50 cars up the hill.
If another blizzard hit, he'd be back on the bridge helping motorists.
"It makes you feel good. It's just a nice feeling to have people appreciate that, even though we weren't going out there to get all this praise and have all these people thank us."
Environment Canada meteorologist Bob Cormier said a storm is heading in the city's direction but won't be as big as last year's dumping. A major low pressure system will cross the province on Tuesday.
Inmate at RPC found dead
SASKATOON -- An inmate at the Regional Psychiatric Centre was found dead in his room Thursday.
Brian Riestad, 76, was a palliative care patient at the centre. He was suffering from a lengthy illness, says a Correctional Service of Canada release.
He was serving an indeterminate sentence which began Dec. 1, 1997, and had been receiving care from staff at the centre since July 12, 2003. Police and the coroner were called to the scene. The death may be the subject of a coroner's inquest.
Thieves prey as families mourn
SASKATOON – As a Saskatoon woman grieved at her husband's funeral last week, someone broke in and ransacked her condo, stealing personal items belonging to her late spouse.
"It's a crime of opportunity but more like a slime of opportunity," said Bill, the couple's son, who didn't want the family name published.
It's something happening with much more frequency, according to the police and a local funeral home owner. "It's a sad state of affairs," said Bill Edwards, CEO and owner of Saskatoon Funeral Home. "But we're getting to be a bigger city. I know it happens in Calgary and Winnipeg so it was only a matter of time for us, I guess." See Taking Advantage / A6
U of S denies contamination claim
SASKATOON -- The University of Saskatchewan is denying it contaminated adjacent land purchased by a property developer 26 years ago.
And the university claims a $30-million lawsuit recently filed against it by P.R. Developments Ltd. should be dismissed because it took too long to get to court.
"The plaintiff was well aware of the condition of the land, the condition of the surrounding property, and in particular the university's property when it purchased the land," said the university's statement of defence, filed last month in Court of Queen's Bench in Saskatoon.
"The university specifically denies that it was guilty of any negligence."
The university had operated a landfill on its property, but the site was decommissioned and cleaned up.
P.R. Developments, owned by Ellen Remai of Remai Ventures Inc., later purchased 32 hectares of the adjacent land in the University Heights area, called Petturson's Ravine, in 1981.
"We can't develop this property because SERM will not allow it for residential use," Curtis Zwack, director of real estate for Remai Ventures, said Friday.
"The university polluted our land," he said. "All it's good for is park land."
According to the lawsuit, filed last summer, P.R. Developments claims the university had been dumping about 30,000 kilograms of hazardous waste and chemicals at the landfill each year since at least the mid-'70s.
The lawsuit said the waste "leached, leaked and discharged" onto the purchased property, making it unsafe for and incapable of development.
"Over the past several years, (P.R. Developments) has implored the university to remediate the lands but the university has refused to do so," says the suit.
Richard Florizone, vice-president of finances and resources with the university, said Friday the university complied with all of SERM's regulations for the landfill and subsequent cleanup.
Now grassland, the area continues to be monitored and environmental reports are sent to the government, he said.
"We've worked closely with SERM, and the city, all along the way."